Armband carrier for a personal media player

ABSTRACT

An armband carrier that includes a casing having a cavity configurable to receive and retain a personal media player, a pair of wings extending laterally and having a slot formed therein, and a strap passing through the slot formed in each wing. An armband carrier that includes a casing having a cavity configurable to receive and retain a personal media player, and a cord management structure at one end of the casing. An armband carrier that includes a casing having a cavity configurable to receive and retain a personal media player, and a storage structure having a re-sealable tube at one end of the casing.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a carrier for holding a personal mediaplayer. More specifically, this invention relates to a device that issecured to the arm of a person for carrying a personal media player.

Many different types of personal media players exist ranging fromportable music and video players to multi-function cellular phones andvarious combinations in between. Often times, a user of these types ofdevices is unwilling or unable to hold the device while engaging invarious physical activities such as running or exercising or otheractivities requiring the use of one's hands. These physical activitiesoften require the device to be reliably and comfortably secured to theuser. Furthermore, the device may require adjustment of volume orselection of functions while secured to the user. Therefore, a varietyof carriers including armband carriers have been utilized to securethese devices to a user.

In addition, a portable electronic device generally requires accessoriessuch as earphones or earpieces that connect with the device via cords orcables. These cords may interfere with the physical activities of theuser by distracting the user or becoming tangled in other equipment,potentially leading to injury to the user or damage to the device.Furthermore, the user may require storage for personal items such asidentification cards, money, or keys while engaging in the physicalactivity. In addition, the user may engage in physical activities inclimates including rain or hot weather that may require added protectionfor the device or the personal items. These physical activities andclimates also require that the carrier be durable and tear-resistant.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the armband carrier includesa casing to hold a personal media player and a pair of wings havingslots through which an adjustable armband strap passes. The back of thecasing and wings may include a gripping surface to prevent excessivemovement while attached to the arm of a user while still providing asoft, comfortable feel against the skin of the user. The carrier mayalso be configurable to hold devices of various sizes by removing aprojection on the casing. The armband strap may be made of a washable,antibacterial/antimicrobial material.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the armband carrierincludes an accessory management structure to secure and storeaccessories connected to a device held by the carrier. The accessorymanagement structure includes a slot or notch to retain cords andrecesses to hold earphones.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the armband carrierincludes a storage loop to secure a removable storage tube wherein theuser may store personal items such as an identification card, money,keys and the like. The storage tube may include a cap tethered to thetube and configured in combination with the tube to provide awater-resistant closure.

An armband carrier for a personal media player of the type disclosedherein is advantageous over previous devices by providing improvedstability while attached to the arm of a user. Furthermore, the presentarmband carrier is configurable to allow a user to alter the capacity ofthe casing and accommodate personal media players of various sizes. Thepresent armband carrier for a personal media player is furtheradvantageous over previous devices by providing accessory management andstorage capability for accessories such as earphones that are attachedto the device. Providing cord management and storage capability, as wellas storage of earphones, decreases the likelihood that a cord willinterfere in the user's physical activities, reducing potential forinjury to the user and damage to the device. In addition, the presentarmband carrier is advantageous over previous devices by providing aremovable, water-resistant storage tube for identification, money, keysand the like.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. It should be understood that the description andspecific embodiment are intended for purposes of illustration only andare not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the armband carrier for a personal mediaplayer showing the front face extending away from the user.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the armband carrier showing the backside facing the user.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the armband carrier showing the frontface extending away from the user's arm.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the armband carrier alongline IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the armband carrier showing the backside facing towards the user's arm.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the armband carrier showing the topincluding the accessory management structure.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the armband carrier showing the bottomincluding the storage structure.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the armband carrier showingthe storage structure along line VII of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the armband carrier showing a sidewall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention, its application or uses. Itshould be understood that throughout the drawings, correspondingreference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

In FIGS. 1-2, armband carrier 11 includes a casing 13 and an adjustablearmband strap 15 operable to slideably engage with casing 13. Casing 13includes a pair of sidewalls 17, a top wall 19, a back wall 21, and afront wall 23 forming a cavity 25 to receive and retain a personal mediaplayer (not shown). Along the edges of casing 13 is a bead 27 toincrease the strength of the structure and to resist tearing. A pair ofwings 29 laterally extends from the casing 13, with each wing 29including a slot 31 passing therethrough to receive and slideably engagethe armband strap 15.

Increased thickness of the wings 29 at the edges and around slots 31 isprovided to improve resistance to tearing. A hardened plastic insert(not show) may also be molded into wings 29 around the slots 31 toprovide additional reinforcement and resistance to tearing. At one endof casing 13, an accessory management structure 33 includes notches 35to receive and retain an accessory cord 37. In addition, the accessorymanagement structure 33 includes a pair of recessed portions 39 formingpockets in the shape of ear buds or earphones to receive and retain apair of earphones 41. At another end of casing 13, a storage structure43 includes a pair of storage loops 45, a storage tube 47, and atethered cap 49.

The casing 13, wings 29 and storage loops 45 are formed as a unitarystructure to provide an integral support for a personal media player. Aspresently preferred, this unitary structure is a molded plastic orpolymeric part, and more preferably a molded thermoplastic polyurethaneelastomeric part. Thus, one skilled in the art will recognize thatconventional molding techniques can be employed to fabricate thisstructure from Pellethane™ available from Dow Chemical Co. The armbandstrap 15 is formed from a suitable elastic band that is securable uponitself to provide an adjustable length to accommodate a wide range ofarm sizes. The armband should have sufficient elastic memory to stretchand return with the flexion of the user's muscles. As presentlypreferred, elastic or neoprene bands are suitable, and a flexible strapcomposed of VELSTRETCH® with an antibacterial/antimicrobial agentapplied is most preferred.

FIGS. 3-4 show armband carrier 11 without a personal media playerdisposed within the cavity. Front wall 23 includes a first aperture 51and a second aperture 53 to allow viewing of a display on the personalmedia player and access to the controls of the personal media player.Apertures 51 and 53 may also be points of entry when placing thepersonal media player in the armband carrier 11. Severable projections55 on an interior surface of back wall 21 are seen through aperture 51and extend from the interior surface of back wall 21. By removingprojections 55, the capacity of cavity 25 may be increased toaccommodate a larger dimensioned personal media player. For example,projections 55 may be severed from back wall 21 by a sharp knife, wirecutters or even nail clippers.

As presently illustrated, armband carrier 11 is configured for an AppleiPod®, GenV personal media player. For example, the armband carrier withthe projection is sized to secure a 30 GB iPod® and having a thicknessof about 11 mm, and the armband carrier without the projection is sizedto secure an 80 GB iPod® having a thickness of about 14 mm. However, oneskilled in the art will recognize that the teachings of the presentinvention have applicability to a wide range of personal hand helddevices including other models of the Apple iPod® personal media playeror personal audio devices of other manufacturers, personal digitalassistants, mobile phones and the like.

In FIG. 5, the accessory management structure 33 is shown more clearlyhaving notches 35 formed in wings 29 of casing 13 near the top wall 19to provide a storage location for accessory cord 37. Accessory cord 37may be wound around the notches 35 or attached in another fashion byinserting accessory cord 37 into notches 35. Notches 35 are flexible andoperable to receive accessory cords 37 of various sizes. The recessedportions 39 are also more clearly seen near the notches 35. Furthermore,back wall 21 and wings 29 form a contoured surface 57 which includesrecessed grips 59. Contoured surface 57 may flex to fit a user's arm bytightening or loosening adjustable armband strap 15. FIG. 6 shows a topview of the carrier 11 wherein the contoured surface 57 is more clearlyseen. In addition, an audio jack aperture 61 and a control aperture 63are located in the top wall 19 to allow the user to plug the accessorycord 37 into the device and operate the device as needed.

FIGS. 7-9 more clearly depict the storage structure 43 of casing 13.Elastic storage loops 45 extend from sidewalls 17 and include aperture65 operable to slideably receive and retain storage tube 47. Sealed cap49 forms a water-resistant enclosure once engaged with storage tube 47,within which a user may enclose an identification card, money, keys, orother items. To prevent losing cap 49, flexible strap 67 connects cap 49to storage tube 47. As presently preferred, the storage tube 47 and cap49 are configured with an elliptical cross-section wherein the majoraxis is dismissed to accommodate a quarter-sized object.

Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoingdescription that the broad teachings of the disclosure can beimplemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosureincludes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure shouldnot be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to theskilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification,and the following claims.

1. An armband carrier for a personal media player comprising: a casinghaving a back wall and at least one side wall extending from the backwall to define a generally rectangular cavity, the casing configurableto receive and retain a personal media player; a pair of wings extendinglaterally from the casing with each pair of wings having a slot formedtherein; and a strap passing through the slot formed in each pair ofwings and adjustably secured to the wings.
 2. The armband carrier ofclaim 1 wherein the casing further comprises a bead formed on the edgeof the side wall opposite the back wall.
 3. The armband carrier of claim1 wherein the casing further comprises a front wall extending from theat least one side wall and generally parallel to the back wall.
 4. Thearmband carrier of claim 1 wherein the at least one side wall includesat least one aperture extending therethrough.
 5. The armband carrier ofclaim 3 wherein the front wall includes at least one aperture extendingtherethrough.
 6. The armband carrier of claim 1 wherein the back wallincludes at least one severable projection.
 7. The armband carrier ofclaim 6 wherein the at least one severable projection is configurable toincrease the capacity of the cavity.
 8. The armband carrier of claim 1wherein a surface of the back wall opposite the rectangular cavity and asurface of each pair of wings form a contoured surface.
 9. The armbandcarrier of claim 8 wherein the contoured surface includes a recessedarea formed therein which defines a gripping surface.
 10. The armbandcarrier of claim 1 further comprising an accessory management structureat an end of the casing.
 11. The armband carrier of claim 10 wherein theaccessory management structure includes at least one retaining notchoperable to receive and retain an accessory cord.
 12. The armbandcarrier of claim 10 wherein the accessory management structure includesa pocket operable to receive and retain a pair of earphones.
 13. Thearmband carrier of claim 10 wherein the accessory management structurefurther comprises a pair of recessed portions formed therein, eachrecessed portion shaped in the form of an earphone.
 14. The armbandcarrier of claim 1 further comprising a storage loop at an end of thecasing.
 15. The armband carrier of claim 14 wherein the storage loopcomprises a pair of elastic loops extending from the casing and arrangedin a spaced relation.
 16. The armband carrier of claim 14 furthercomprising a storage tube including a tubular body and a removable capdisposed within the storage loop.
 17. The armband carrier of claim 16further comprising an identification card stored in the storagestructure, the identification card configured to include informationselected from the group of information including name, address,telephone number, emergency contacts, medical history, allergies, andbirth date.
 18. The armband carrier of claim 16 wherein the removablecap is coupled to the tubular body with a flexible strap.
 19. Thearmband of claim 1 wherein the wings include a hardened plastic insertaround the slots for reinforcement.
 20. The armband carrier of claim 1wherein the casing is configured to receive and retain an iPod®-brandpersonal media player.
 21. The armband carrier of claim 1 wherein thecasing and wings are a unitary molded part.
 22. The armband carrier ofclaim 1 wherein the strap is treated with a solution containing anantibacterial/antimicrobial agent.
 23. An armband for carrying apersonal media player comprising: a casing having a back wall and atleast one side wall extending from the back wall forming a generallyrectangular cavity, the cavity operable to receive and retain a personalmedia player; a pair of wings extending laterally from the casing witheach wing having a slot formed therein; a strap passing through the slotformed in each wing and adjustably secured to the wings; and a cordmanagement structure at one end of the casing including a slot operableto receive and retain an accessory cord.
 24. The armband of claim 23wherein the cord management structure includes a pocket operable toreceive and retain a pair of earphones.
 25. The armband of claim 23wherein the cord management structure further comprises a pair ofrecessed portions formed therein, each of the pair of recessed portionsshaped in the form of an earphone.
 26. The armband of claim 23 furthercomprising a storage loop including a pair of elastic bands extendingfrom an end of the casing opposite the cord management structure andarranged in a spaced relation.
 27. An armband for carrying a personalmedia player comprising: a casing having a back wall and at least oneside wall extending from the back wall forming a generally rectangularcavity, the cavity operable to receive and retain a personal mediaplayer; a pair of wings extending laterally from the casing with eachwing having a slot formed therein; a strap passing through the slotformed in each wing and adjustably secured to the wings; and a storagestructure including a pair of elastic bands extending from an end of thecasing and arranged in a spaced relation.
 28. The armband of claim 27further comprising a storage tube including a tubular body and aremovable cap disposed within the storage loop.
 29. The armband of claim28 further comprising an identification card stored in the storagestructure, the identification card configured to include informationselected from the group of information including name, address,telephone number, emergency contacts, medical history, allergies, andbirth date.
 30. The armband of claim 27 further comprising an accessorystorage structure extending from an end of the casing and operable toreceive and retain an accessory cord and earphones.